THE PRESIDENT: Welcome. Please be seated. You read it just like
I wrote it. (Laughter.) Thank you all for coming. It's great to see
so many of my fellow Americans here on the eve of Independence Day, the
day we celebrate the fantastic freedoms we love in America. And I hope
every American goes out tomorrow and gives thanks for the many
blessings of our nation.

I want to thank members of my Cabinet who are here. Thank you all
for coming -- Gale and Ann. I want to thank members of the Congress
-- Senator and Congressman from the great Commonwealth of Virginia are
here. I want to thank many members of the administration who are
here. I see Fran, who is head of the National Parks. I want to thank
the Tribal leaders who have come. I want to thank my fellow
Americans. Welcome to the people's house.

And it's a beautiful house, as you can see. I want to thank Laura
for serving as the host while I was doing work. I particularly want to
thank the Missouri Historical Society for lending this splendid
portrait of the man Stephen Ambrose called "the greatest of all
American explorers," Captain Meriwether Lewis.

You know, it's amazing -- it's fitting, and amazing, when you
think about it, that we're holding this event here in the East Room,
because this is where Lewis lived when he was Jefferson's private
secretary. Not a bad room. (Laughter.) They tell me, though, that
back then the room was damp and depressing. The second First Lady who
lived here, Abigail Adams, actually used to hang the washing here.
(Laughter.) And I want to thank Laura for getting my underwear out
before the event started. (Laughter.)

Nearly 200 years ago, President Jefferson sent an expedition to
explore what was then the uncharted West. Jefferson was a curious man,
as we've learned, and I bet you he wanted to lead the expedition
himself. But he was occupied and so he chose a trusted aide and
friend, Meriwether Lewis, to lead what was called the "Voyage of
Discovery."

The Lewis and Clark expedition lasted just a couple of years, but
it changed the face of our country forever. It opened up the American
West for future development. It increased our knowledge of our natural
resources. It helped us gain a better understanding of America's
native cultures. Most importantly, the Lewis and Clark Expedition will
stand forever as a monument to the American spirit, a spirit of
optimism and courage and persistence in the face of adversity.

Earlier this week, I signed a proclamation designating 2003 through
2006 as the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commemoration. I urge all
Americans to learn more about Lewis and Clark and how the expedition
changed our nation, and at the same time, to learn more about our
native culture, to learn more about courage and the values that
continue to shape our nation today.

American history is filled with remarkable examples of heroism and
adventure, and the voyage of Lewis and Clark is one of the most
remarkable of them all. And that's why we're here in the White House
today. Their expedition became an epic of endurance and discovery, and
that epic became an American legend which all Americans should know
about, and they should teach their children about it, as well.

The achievement would not have been possible without the tremendous
contribution of a remarkable Shoshone Indian woman, Sacagawea, who
helped the explorers on their long and perilous journey. And I say
remarkable because she had a two-month-old baby when the trip began.
And she was just as committed to discovery and success as Lewis and
Clark and the other young members of the "Corps of Discovery."

Her courage and her strength reminds us that American Indians have
played a central role in our history, and their unique culture must
never be lost. Tribal colleges and universities help preserve
irreplaceable languages and cultural traditions. At the same time, of
course, they offer a high-quality college education to thousands of
students, and provide much-needed job training and other means of
economic development in Indian country.

I bring that up today because I had the honor of signing an
executive order affirming the federal government's commitment to these
unique institutions. Many of the board members that I named are here
today, and they were in the Oval Office earlier, and I want to thank
them for coming. All Americans -- all Americans -- deserve an
excellent education, including those who attend Tribal colleges and
universities. (Applause.)

I want to thank you all for coming today. I want to thank you for
being here to honor the courage of great explorers. I want to thank
you for being here to honor the richness of native cultures. And I
want to thank you for being here to honor the grand history of the
American West.

May God bless you and your families, and may God continue to bless
America. Thank you. (Applause.)